Jessie M. King – Illustrations for The Mummy’s Bedtime Story Book 1929

Jessie Marion King (March 20, 1875 – August 3, 1949) was a Scottish illustrator mostly of children’s books. She also designed jewellery and fabric, and painted pottery. King was one of the artists known as the Glasgow Girls.

Jessie M. King was made Tutor in Book Decoration and Design at Glasgow School of Art in 1899. Her first published designs, and some people believe her finest, were for the covers of books published by Globus Verlag, Berlin between 1899 and 1902.

Jessie M. King was influenced by the Art Nouveau of the period, and her works correspond in mood with those of The Glasgow Four. Despite the influence of Art Nouveau, she was inspired to create unique designs where she did not literally translate the real world. “I would not copy designs,” she said, “but insisted on drawing out of my head.” During her early period, she created detailed pen and ink illustrations on vellum.

Presenting the illustrations by Jessie M. King  for the First edition of The Mummy’s Bedtime Story Book. Published by Cecil Palmer, London, 1929.

Other Jessie M. King illustrated works available in our gallery: The Defence of Guenevere, A House of Pomegranates, The High History of the Holy Graal, Seven Happy Days, Poems of Spenser, Habitation Forcee.

Art Gallery: Jessie M. King – The Mummy’s Bedtime Story Book 1929